CLE OP: Cleveland Op Art Pioneers

Sat, 04/09/2011 to Sun, 02/26/2012

East wing, Cleveland gallery

An abbreviation for "Optical Art," Op Art is an appropriately eye-popping style whose goals are to stimulate and, at times, even to confound vision. Op artists test the boundaries of visual perception, often by creating abstract compositions with bold colors that seem to vibrate and dynamic patterns that appear to pulsate. During Op's heyday in the 1960s, several artists who studied and worked in Cleveland became internationally known for their vital contributions to the movement. In addition, Cleveland was home to the only artist collaborative in the United States devoted to Op. Drawn primarily from the CMA's permanent holdings and supplemented with loans from private collections, CLE OP: Cleveland Op Art Pioneers is a small focus exhibition showcasing work by key figures in the local Op Art scene during its formative years.